wheeler



F. G. WHEELER. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ominous.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-2.19M}.

' Patented Oct. 14,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

n13 COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

F. G WHEELER. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CALDRONS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.2. ma.

1,318,634. Patented Oct. 14,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W E 25 @425; W Z! 4? FRANK-G; WHEELER-Jon Hermo -mseommAesmneaT s men-game METHOD or m urmmUs -ma Hiuwmn e masseuse;

To all whom-it may concern;

Be it known that LVFRANKG WHEELER, a citizenv of the United States, residing at Appleton, in the county of-O'utaga'mie and State f of WVisconsin, have invented certain new aIrd usefulimprovements in Methods of and Apparatus for'Hand-lin'g, Galdrons; of which; the following is a specification. 1 inventionme'lates to improvements in methods of andapparatus for handling :caldr0n-s, ,and hastparti-cular reference tothe handling of hemispherical- -caustie pots "of large'diameten- V In themanufacture of: caustic; it is necessary to'heat the liquor in large caldrons,

which are usually about ten feetin diame ter and seven feet deep; each-pot weighing about fifteenqtons The pots are heatedby means of furnaces, the fire boxof the fur-- 'corroded part of the pottoa position where thetendency to'corrode or waste away is at the lriinimuin V k r Qwing to the hemispherical shape of v the pot its great weight and "general unwieldy character, great difficulty-is obviously en- QUntere'd inelevating the pot and'turning it, on its vertical axis from time to-Yftirne as the pot wears away. 5-,,Simil2ir difiicultyi is also experienced in: the initial installationof, the pot. on;-its setting and in removing the; pot afterit is completely wornfout. Va riouseXpedient-s:have beentried out inefforts jto devise some cheap and simple method of gripping the pot by its edge or elsewhere in order, to lift the same sufliciently to permit'ofits being handled,-bnt,aso

far as I am, aware5such expedients' have uniformly; failed of; .practicatresults and it has been necessary to *provide an expensive overhead traveling icrane :which can lift the potcentrallyfrom above." 7

Such traveling crane arrangements for speeifieatforof Le'ttifiateiifi 'Applioation filed December 2,1918 Serial No. 264,978i':

liftinglrpots weighing wfifteenvtons each are,

together with. their supports and associated eilll-ipnfient, relatively quite expensive; considering short pe'riods during% which such; cranes ,e are used, and, such cost, .espe; cially in plantsof V relatively; small capacity; has; an importantbearirfgnpon the ultimate total'eost oif: bhefinislmd"product; .7

- a e bje o -t e present iuventionrare 1- to; provide a method and means for handling heavy caustic pots of the class-described without the; v aid -;-1 of overhead traveling cranes; to':' I; provide improved means}; for gripping' thelpotin orderfto handle the same fronrbelowinstead of. from above; to provide improved means for supporti'ngithe pot while it is .beingrotated; and-{ingeneral', to providejair improved ,method' and means of the character-referred to; v.

H-J In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention Figi1re' l is ,a vertical sections through the fur'naceg the pot; and its mounting; A

Fig 2 is a plan view of thepot and as sociatedfpar'ts shown in Figuhand V V Fig-leis an elevation-oi one of the de tachable lugs used for raisingathe pot;

, Referring-2, to the drawings, .10 represents the floor of the caustic she'd; containingi-a series of icausticpots 11, each with its furnace located at the side,,as"shown at 12:. The bottom of the pot'll is approximately hemi spherical in" shape, the upper" part-of *the pot beingjiextended upwardly to constitute "a vertically extending cylindrical portion 13. The upper cylindrical portion l3- extends above thefioor 1,0' of the caustic shediand is inclosedin the circular wall 'let of -"the brick work, or other suitable material, the a top offsaicl brickwork let being capped byga ring 15 of castiron, prthe" likei Suitable communicating: openings 16 and-'17 are pro vided beneath; thepot 11, the bottom perbion 'of which is supported :on azcast airon riing 'or base plate 18.- The hase'plate; 1'8'is carried by the concrete?.foundation 19. y I tW'ill of course be understood that the flame and products of combustion from the furnace 1'2 passgin-to the opeiiingal6fiaroundi and in contact with the .hottomvof thefpot and into the stack; as .iscustdmary in pot furnaces ofthe character deseiibedf V I "Wheir the pot, is in"use;'-the-bofitom there ofres'ts upon the ring-"B the?uppersurface of which ring is made of the same curvatureas the bottom of the pot so that the latter will fit same snugly. When it is desired to turn the pot, the brick work-of the wall 14 istorn out to the floor level at three equally spaced points, sufficient brick being removed at each point to provide room for a lifting jack 21 of any approved type. If desired, said lifting jack 21 may be supported on blocking 22.

The pot cover having been raised orremoved, there is applied to the flanged rim of the pot a seriesof threedetachable lugs 23, each lug being located over its corresponding lifting jack 21. Each of said lugs 23 is of peculiar and special design and comprises a substantially circular portion 24 of the proper cross section to resist the imposed bending strain, said circular portion 24 terminating on the inside of the pot with a small foot 25 and on the outside of the pot with a horizontally'extending'block 26, said block 26 having an inwardlyextending part 27 arranged to fit under the outer flange 28 of the pot rim. The shape of the part 26 is such that when thelug is in the position shown, 2'. 6., with the foot 25 engaging the inner surface of the pot and with the projection 27 engaging the outer flange 28, the lower surface of the part 26 will be substantially horizontal, thereby facilitating the application of the jack 21. If de sired, in order to prevent slipping, and to eliminate metal to metal contact, a piece of lumber 29 may be interposed between the detachable lug and the head of the jack 21.

Having properly positioned the jacks and the lugs 23, the jacks are actuated to raise the pot a suitable distance, whereupon access may be had to the top of the cast iron foundation plate 18. After such access is had, it being of course understood that the fires have been withdrawn from the furnace, the bottom of the pot over the ring is cleaned 0E, as is also the curved seat of the ring 18 and the ball-race 30 formed in said seat. A series of balls 31 are then placed in the ball-race 30, and, by suitably manipulating the jacks, the pot is lowered so that it will rest upon the tops of the said balls 31, as shown at 32. The detachable lugs 23 arethen freed from the rim of the pot after further slacking off the jacks 21, and the pot is now ready to be rotated into its new angular position. This is easily efiected by a comparatively smallmanual effort, by reason of the fact that the pot is wholly supported bythe balls 31 and the ball circle is of comparatively small diameter. After the pot has been rotated around its vertical axis into'the desired new position, the-detachable lugs 23 are again applied and the pot is raised by the jacks a suflicient distance to enable the balls to' be removed, after which the pot is lowered into its lowermost position 33, resting on the curved por- 'tion of the foundation plate 18. The jacks It will of course be obvious that during, or

between the various stages in, the operation of shifting the pot, any needful repairs may be made to the brick work or other parts of the furnace, pot, or pot mounting.

The jacks and the detachable lugs which are employed for the purpose of rotating the pot around its vertical axis while in its setting, may also be utilized for installing a new pot or for moving away an old pot which has become worn out through continued use. When so used for effecting such bodily movement of the pot, the jacks and lugs are arranged in substantially the same manner as when rotating the pot, and the pot, which is always maintained in upright position, is elevated sufliciently to permit of the insertion under thesame of a cradle and rollers, upon which the pot may be rolled into its desired position. 7

The scope of the invention should be de termined by reference to the appended claims.

I claim 1. The method of rotating a circular caldron about its vertical axis, which consists in applying a plurality of jacks to said caldron, jacking up the caldron a suflicient distance to permit the insertion of anti-friction means beneath said caldron and adjacent the center thereof, lowering said caldron until the weight thereof is supported on said anti-friction means, turning said caldron, again jacking up the caldron to permit removal of said anti-friction means, and subsequently lowering said caldron back onto its original support.

2. The improvement in the art of effecting a limited rotary movement of a ponderous flanged. caustic pot around its vertical axis, which consists in applying upward pressure to the pot flange at a plurality of spaced apart points and thereby raising the pot from its. support, temporarily supporting said pot on anti-friction means readily permitting rotation of said pot into a new position, again raising the post, removing said supporting anti-friction means, and subsequently lowering said pot into its original position.

3. A detachable lifting lug for caustic pots having outwardly projecting flanges, which comprises a substantially C-shaped member, one end of which extends into and engages the inner surface of the pot and the other end of which is located externally of the 'pot and is provided with an inwardly extending projection adapted to engage underthe pot flange, the portion of said mem ber which'is external of the pot being provided with an outwardly projecting block suitably arranged to permit convenient ap- 1,818,634 e r 7 ii I 'piication thereto of a jack for applying upward lifting pressure to the rim of saidpot. 4:. A detachable lifting lug for caustic pots having outw ardly projecting flanges,-

Whieh comprises a substantially C-shaped part, one end of which is prdvided With a foot engaging the inner surface of the pdt and the other end of which is arranged to extend out of the pot and is provided" with an inwardiy extending projection adapted 10 to engage under the pct flange, said last named end of said lug extending outwardly from said projection a sufiicient distance to permit convenient application of a jack for applying upward said pet.

FRANK G. WHEELER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents e ach, bi addressing the Commissioner ot l atents,

' Washington, D. G. 1

pressure to the rim of 15 r 

